Southern California -- this just in

Chick-fil-A vandalism investigated by police in Torrance

Torrance police were investigating graffiti painted on a Chick-fil-A restaurant during a week of controversy involving the restaurant and its leadership's stand on gay marriage.

The words "Tastes Like Hate" were painted on the side of the restaurant Thursday night, just before "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" was set to begin. In that event, couples were told to send photos of themselves kissing at Chick-fil-A restaurants around the nation to various gay-rights websites.

Huge crowds turned out Wednesday in a show of support for company President Dan Cathy, who ignited a national debate by publicly expressing his opposition to same-sex marriage. Critics have also said the company supports causes harmful to gays and lesbians.

Denise Spencer, who visited the Torrance restaurant Friday, said that she was sad to see the vandalism and that it hurt the message of tolerance that gay marriage proponents are pushing.

"The president of the company has the right to say what he feels, just like gays and lesbians do, but when you destroy someone's property ... it only creates negativity," Spencer said.

A gay artist took responsibility for the graffiti in an interview with the Huffington Post on Friday.

"Everybody is entitled to free speech, but it seems like for the gay tribe, this is more of an issue of equal rights -- human rights," Manny Castro told the site. "I'm against what these people stand for, what this company stands for. They're trying to take away what little rights we already have."